from scratch baking and cooking blog

Monthly Archives: April 2013

I had a cupcake order this weekend for a bridal shower. These Lemonade Mini Cupcakes were one of the 6 mini cupcakes I made. It was my first time making standard lemonade cupcakes but according to the bride they were one of the favorites at the shower. Spring is in the air and these are a perfect addition for any upcoming occasion this season.

6. Divide the batter up using a number 60 scoop for perfect even baking and sizes for the cupcakes.

Bake for 9 to 10 minutes depending on your oven test often these will be done in no time!

7. Let cupcakes cool before frosting

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting!

Ingredients:

1 Package of 8 ounce cream cheese (use 1/3 fat reduced)

1/4 cup of butter (1/2 a stick)

2 TB of fresh Lemon Juice

2 Tsp of Lemon Zest

1 Teaspoon of Mexican vanilla extract

5 Cups of confections’ sugar

Directions:

Beat the cream cheese, butter, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla all together until smooth and fluffy. Add confection’s sugar 1/2 cup to a cup at a time. Beat until creamy or to preferred consistency. Add to piping bag with tip of choice create magical minis

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One of my mom’s favorite sweet treats is Caramel Pecan Turtles. So for Easter my sister and I thought we should try and make her some homemade turtles. All the recipes we found used premade processed caramels, we wanted to make our own caramel. These tasty treats are prepared homemade with no processed caramel.

One recipe of my Salted Caramel Drizzle (see recipe below) fyi there will be some left over but it lasts in the refrigerator for a good while and is perfect on chocolate chips or even ice cream.

This recipe makes about 15 to 18 Caramel Chocolate Turtles.

Directions:

First toast the pecans by turning your oven at 350. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spread out the pecans so they are not touching each other. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until the nuts are aromatic.

1. Add the sugar in an even layer over the bottom of a heavy 2 quart saucepan. Heat the sugar over medium-high heat, whisking it as it begins to melt. Just keep whisking and as it continues to cook, they will melt back down. Keep cooking until temperature reaches 350 degree. Once temperature reached add butter, once the butter is melted gently pour in the heavy cream and whisk until combined.

Let caramel mixture set for 10 minutes and use a siphon to pour caramel into squeeze bottle and dispense over center of pecan shaped turtles.

You can use a spoon or you can use a wilton bottle squeeze bottle. Place the turtles in the freezer or refrigerator until the caramel hardens.

One the chocolate has been melted thoroughly and caramel has hardened spoon chocolate over the caramel. Place them in the refrigerator and let cool (about an hour).

3. Use an electric mixer to beat on medium high speed butter, sugar, lemonade mix. Once light and fluffy in appearance incorporate eggs one at a time, and yolks one at a time. Make sure to scrap down sides unless you have the kitchen-aid attachment that has the paddle with the spatula attached. Once the eggs are mixed into the sugar mixture start alternating with flour mixture and buttermilk on low speed. Now is a good time to add the lemon juice and zest. Add vanilla at very end you don’t want it to evaporate.

4. Divide the batter in cupcake size pan as you desire. If using standard size my go to is a scoop size number 16. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes about 10 minutes in rotate pans halfway in the baking process. Bake for 20 minutes and check with toothpick and see if it comes out clean. Let cool on wire racks. Let cool completely before filling the cupcakes with raspberry filling.

Pink Lemonade Frosting:

Add 5 Tablespoons of Lemonade concentrate

One whole lemon zest (or at least one teaspoon)

Vanilla 1 teaspoon

One pound of sugar powder ( 3 ½ cups to 4 cups of powered sugar)

1 cup butter (2 sticks)

Directions: Beat butter and add sugar, when fluffy add vanilla, zest.

Raspberry Filling Ingredients:

2 cups of raspberry (fresh or frozen)

3 table corn starch

1/3 cup sugar

fresh 1 teaspoon lemon Juice

1 ¼ cup water

Directions for filling

For filling, in a medium sauce pan, combine water, sugar, flour and lemon juice and mix well.Heat and stir until mixture boils and thickens.Cool completely! Stir in raspberries. (It will make a lot!).

To fill cupcakes, cut a small round whole, fill with raspberry filling, then replace the cutout of the cupcake on top of the filling Frosting will cover it up to marking.